Bailey2194

Wow!! Truly inspiring! We have very similar stats . My surgery is September 9th and I was having doubts but seeing your results has reaffirmed my decision, thank you for posting!
You look awesome!

September 9th for me too! In Tijuana MX. . I am very excited but I will admit that I do have moments of "can I really do this?". But the answer is YES! Yes I do love food but so does everyone else here or we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. So I tell myself "self, if they can do it, so can you!!"

I love this! So fun the before pics don't look half bad without all the cellulite!

One FB group I found - The Sassy Sleevers. It's a closed group, but not private. There are a couple thousand members so there are always new posts. Pretty good! A September Sleevers group on FB might not be a bad idea either!

Im guessing its normal to second guess...i do it too..its more like a " do i really want to put myself through the pain and discomfort and fetting used to a smaller tummy" moment...but then i think about how it sucks to live in this morbidly obese body that sweats non stop and is in pain just from walking...i want to be free to live a healthy active life and this is going to help me get there..so..time to put my big girl panties on and just go for it!!!

September 9th for me too! In Tijuana MX. . I am very excited but I will admit that I do have moments of "can I really do this?". But the answer is YES! Yes I do love food but so does everyone else here or we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. So I tell myself "self, if they can do it, so can you!!"

Im very happy for you. You have made a great choice. Now hurry up Sept!

I totally know what you mean! And it looks like there is a wide gap in the healing time...like some people are ready to giver right after and others have troubles! I guess all we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope to be great healers!

Thank you SO MUCH for posting this! I was very close to paying my deposit with Dr. Valenzuela through MBC and you made me take a better look at Dr. Kelly as an option. I love the idea of a newer/ better equipped hospital and hotel, again thanks so much for sharing!

Hi guys. I see a lot of you are struggling and worried pre-op about the pre-op diet. It is a HUGE challenge, but for me, it was an important one.
Exactly 1 year ago, I was in the middle of a 2 week liquid pre-op diet because my BMI was 55+ and I was self-pay in Mexico. Traveling from Canada meant that a reschedule would be A LOT of extra expense if my surgeon had to stop due to an enlarged liver mid-surgery. I had NO CHOICE but to follow the diet.
It also meant that cheating would increase the chance of complications and a longer recovery (or worse), all because I could not follow a 2 WEEK diet. Really? Here I was, about to take a seriously radical, life-changing step and get 85% of my stomach cut out permanently. But I can't follow a 2 week diet? That's crazy.
Post-op was going to be difficult for MONTHS, not days. So if I couldn't get my head in the game for the pre-op diet, then maybe I wasn't ready for what was going to follow post-op. I was terrified!
So I started the liquid diet. And I was STARVING. I was dreaming of all the foods I thought were leaving my life forever. Suddenly I didn't care that I had spent my life morbidly obese, I wanted my comfort back. I wanted to fill myself to bursting at every meal, like it was my last meal forever.
But I didn't break my diet.
Because for once, I wasn't going to cheat myself. It was time to grow up (I'm 43....) and take responsibility for my health, my future and my choices. A lifetime of justification, gluttony and excuses brought me to that operating room. Now it was time to face the music and get on with owning my future.
The first 3 days were HELL. That is when your body is detoxing from the carbs. You are using up the glycogen in your liver (to help "shrink" it) and it's screaming for replacement carbs to fill it back up. You can get through it. After 3 days it gets MUCH better. After a week you start to feel normal and more healthy than you have felt in years. You may be hungry, but you don't have the carb cravings anymore.
Most importantly, you feel IN CONTROL; and mentally and emotionally strong for battling your demons and winning. This is the first tangible proof in an unsure future that you CAN get through the post-op recovery and that you CAN succeed in losing the weight this time, FOR LIFE.
Whatever weight you lose during your pre-op diet is really inconsequential. What is important is what you gain:
- Confidence
- Emotional and physical self-control
- The desire to succeed and overcome "impossible" obstacles
- The knowledge that you are a WINNER as long as you do your best
Please don't look at the pre-op diet as a "condition" that your surgeon imposes on you (and some surgeons don't require it!). It is an OPPORTUNITY for you to test yourself, to help build your will, character and emotional toughness BEFORE you have the surgery.
It's like training for a marathon.....you put the blood sweat and tears in before the race to help you finish the race on game day. Without training and preparation, you will likely fail and you can get hurt really badly along the way!
Use your pre-op diet to work through your demons, build up your confidence and prove to yourself you can do it. If you "fall off the wagon" one day, the next day is a fresh start.
Aim for excellence. You owe it to yourself.

Thanks so much for posting, gibsons girl. I've recently decided to change surgeons...from Valenzuela to Kelly. Although I will be at nova hospital. You have made me confident that I made a good decision! Glad to read about how well you have been doing, and how quickly! I hope I will be able to say the same. My date is September 10th! I have a 3 year old and a 8 mo that old that need their mommy to heal quickly . Thanks again!

My fiancé and I are scheduled Sept 30 with Dr Alvarez. Can't wait!!

Also remember you can read them books and do cuddly lovie things with the kids.

Bailey, I drug my 65 yo mother to Mexico and she loved it. Your kids need you to be at a healthy weight so that you can live a great energetic life.
 
It's 6 weeks before you can lift them. It may seem like forever but it goes fast and it is well worth it! I already have more energy to take care of them

I'm down 60lbs. Not the best pic trying on clothes, but I feel awesome!
 

July 25th for me! So stoked! Will be arriving at the Mi Doctor Hospital in TJ on the 24th and surgery will be the next day. I think mom and I might go check out San Diego some.....neither of us are really interested in TJ honestly. We're total Cali virgins from MI so the very thought of "touching" California land is like......holy for us lol. Anywhooo....I know I won't be able to do much sight seeing or anything once I'm post-op....so I've got that one day. Mom'll be going nuts though haha! I told her she can just stay out of my hair as much as possible and get a cab and go see San Diego the whole time lol. Love her and all.....but if recovery is anything like the before/after of having my babies I'd rather be left quite alone, with my macbook for company. LOL.
Anyways, surgery is with Dr. Cabrera and I went through medicaltourismco, I think that's what it's called. I'm too lazy to check my emails for it.....meh, you know what I'm talking about if it matters to you anyways lol.
Can't wait to get this behind me baby!!!

Thanks so much for posting, gibsons girl. I've recently decided to change surgeons...from Valenzuela to Kelly. Although I will be at nova hospital. You have made me confident that I made a good decision! Glad to read about how well you have been doing, and how quickly! I hope I will be able to say the same. My date is September 10th! I have a 3 year old and a 8 mo that old that need their mommy to heal quickly . Thanks again!

Thanks for that! You're a gem

Right! I would rather add a few more teeny tiny scars to my stretch mark covered belly than "hope" the doctor doesn't knock my liver right out of my body trying to maneuver 5-7 instruments/tools through "one" single incision.....I mean.....it's supposed to be smaller than the diameter of my belly button! EXCUSE ME! You're NOT getting THAT much stuff, PLUS the instrument to keep the liver out of the way into my belly button! LOL!
Anywho.....I'll definitely keep updating on here but I also have a blog if you're interested. (destinationpurehealth.blogspot.com) It's fairly new but I'll be posting on there very frequently and all of my stats and updates pre and post-op will be on there too. I'm also planning on adding some vlogs on there also, just as soon as I learn how. But the latest will be surgery day because there is no way I'm missing an opportunity to vlog THAT ENTIRE EXPERIENCE! lol. Wish I could take the camera in the surgery room with me.......I don't think Dr. Cabrera would be too happy with that though lol. Meh.....I'll work on em...

And my surgery was $5500 ... It was Ready4Achange ... Great company - no complaints

I'm 5'8 1/2 and around 247 lbs with a 39 BMI. I have two beautiful little girls who need a happy healthy mommy to chase them around and who can fit on the rides at Disneyland with them! And I'm so tired of being the fattest person in the room.
That's just a couple of reasons why I'm doing this. I have only told my mom, who will be travelling to Tijuana with me for support, and my awesome hubby. I'm scheduled for surgery on September 10th! I wish it was sooner, I hate to spend another summer being fat. But I've been overweight for most of my life, losing the same 50 lbs over and over so what's one more summer. Next summer will be EPIC!